Takeaways and Wrap Video: Purdue’s win over Minnesota

Upstart Minnesota gave second-ranked Purdue all it could handle in Mackey Arena Thursday, the Boilermakers ultimately pulling themselves from a 10-point second-half hole to win 84-76.

Our post-game analysis from Mackey Arena.

BRADEN SMITH REMAINS A GAMER

Braden Smith never talks himself up.

Never.

But there come these moments in games sometimes when someone needs to do something, and Smith very often delivers, as he did against the Golden Gophers.

Asked why he has that knack Thursday night after totaling 16 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and four steals, Smith didn’t say anything of substance.

So Ethan Morton interrupted.

“He won’t say anything good about himself, but he’s a winner,” Morton said. “That’s why he does that.”

In totality, Smith has been wildly productive and in crystal-clear control most of the time this season, but there are these bursts he has sometimes like two separate score-steal-score sequences against the Gophers.

He sometimes plays in big moments with almost a controlled fury, but also a level head. Once again, an opponent mixed up its ball-screen coverages, spending most of the game trying to take away his shot. As soon as Minnesota finally dropped its big in the second half, Smith took immediate advantage for that dagger and-one with a minute-and-a-half to go.

Smith comes up big time and again these difficult situations. He has a knack for the moment.

“He’s just a competitive player,” Coach Matt Painter said. “I wouldn’t trade him for anybody in the country.”

THE BENCH CAME UP HUGE

Mason Gillis shouldn’t be viewed as a backup, per se. He is a co-starter. Nevertheless, he comes off the bench, so his timely 14 points and three assists count as bench productivity, too. Credit him under the circumstances for making big offensive plays while being targeted on defense and subbing in and out repeatedly for matchups.

He’s a veteran and played like one tonight.

But Morton, too, was one of the real differences in the game, more or less shutting down freshman Cam Christie after he was making NBA-type shots in the first against anyone else who guarded him.

This was the epitome of a veteran playing a role and being ready to play.

And this was Caleb Furst‘s most impactful game of the season when Purdue might have needed it most, as Zach Edey encountered rare foul trouble. Furst gave Purdue an offensive spark sans Edey but also just affected the game with his energy.

Again, a veteran who isn’t playing as much as he’s earned coming in and being ready to play.

THE BLUEPRINT FOR DEFEAT

A few common denominators from Purdue’s two losses this season showed up, especially in the first half.

For one thing, the opponent was blistering-hot from three. Purdue wasn’t good enough on D in that sense, but Minnesota was unconscious there for a while.

For another, not just turnovers, but points off turnovers, the Gophers getting 12 in the first half before finishing with 16. Offensive rebounds happen, but there were a number of garbage points in that area, too. Twenty-six Gopher points came off either turnovers or second chances.

That’s kind of basketball, but there’s no new lesson here. Purdue was way too loose with the basketball in the first half. Minnesota forced some post turnovers, but there were instances too where Purdue was sloppy. They got away with a few near-turnovers also.

To Purdue’s credit, it erased the turnover problem in the second half — hey, looked what happened — and finished with only 10, though one of them was a late shot-clock violation that only mattered statistically.

Control what you can control, as they say, and the turnover element is always a focus and viewed as controllable.

As for the continued uneven foul shooting — 19-of-32 with a few more missed one-and-ones — Purdue just has to hope to become steadier.

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